Miconia glabrata Cogn.

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Miconia glabrata Cogn.

  • Description

    Description Author and Date: Frank Almeda, based on Almeda, F. (2009). Melastomataceae. In: G. Davidse, M. Sousa-Sânchez, S. Knapp, & F. Chiang (eds.), Flora Mesoamericana: Cucurbitaceae a Polemoniaceae. 4(1): 164-338.

    Type: Syntype: Mexico, Galeotti 2963J (BR!).

    Description: Shrub up to 1.5 m tall, the rounded-quadrate uppermost cauline internodes, young vegetative buds, petioles, and inflorescence rachis deciduously stellulate-furfuraceous to essentially glabrous. Leaves of a pair ± equal to somewhat unequal in size; blades 5-plinerved with the innermost pair of primary veins diverging from the midvein 4-12 mm above the blade base, elliptic to elliptic-ovate, 3.5-9.1 x 1.6-3.3 cm, apex acuminate, base mostly acute; the margin ciliate-serrulate to nearly entire, the adaxial surface glabrous at maturity, the abaxial surface also glabrous except for tufts of smooth spreading hairs borne in the axil where each of the two uppermost primary veins diverge from the midvein; petioles 3-15 mm long. Inflorescence a multiflowered panicle 4-12 cm long; flowers 5-merous on pedicels 2-3 mm long; the early deciduous bracts and bracteoles linear-oblong to narrowly obovate, 0.25-0.5 x 0.1-0.2 mm. Hypanthia ± glabrous or sparsely and deciduously stellulate-furfuraceous. Calyx tube 0.1-0.2 mm long, the calyx lobes broadly rounded to ± undulate, 0.25-0.5 x 0.5-1.5 mm; the exterior calyx teeth absent or evident as ill-defined callose thickenings that do not exceed the calyx lobes. Petals white but drying yellow, glabrous, narrowly obovate to ± oblong, 1.5-2 x 1-1.5 mm. Anthers alternately somewhat unequal in length, 1 mm or 1.2-1.5 mm long, yellow or yellow flushed with orange or the smaller anthers sometimes drying pink-purplish, subulate and often conspicuously curved at the base near the filament insertion, the apical pore truncate; connective prominently thickened dorso-basally into a ± elevated ridge and prolonged ventro-basally into a lobule 0.1 mm long at the base of each anther sac. Style glabrous, 2 mm long; stigma truncate; ovary 3-locular, completely inferior, the apex ± flat and glabrous; berry 3-4 x 4 mm when dry. Seeds narrowly angulate-triangular, the testa smooth, 1 mm long.

    Habitat and Distribution: Local but sometimes abundant in cloud forest and secondary pine-oak forest. 800-2810 m. Mexico (Oaxaca). MEXICO: Chiapas (Purpus 6783, BM, US).

    Taxonomy and Systematics: Although this species has been collected in Oaxaca as recently as 1985, it was last collected in Chiapas in 1914. Miconia glabrata is readily distinguished by anther thecae that are alternately somewhat unequal in length, and by the hair tufts borne in the axils where each of the two uppermost primary veins diverge from the midvein on abaxial foliar surfaces.

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

  • Sorry, no descriptions available for this record.